Society must ensure that our kids are not left out in the cold

The report City’s homeless battle addiction, alcoholism (January 6) is heart-wrenching and the problem needs greater attention. Providing night shelters is not enough and civil society groups in the capital should come forward to help these addicted children.

The report City’s homeless battle addiction, alcoholism (January 6) is heart-wrenching and the problem needs greater attention. Providing night shelters is not enough and civil society groups in the capital should come forward to help these addicted children. Most of these children are abandoned due to poverty. A campaign should be launched to highlight the plight of these children so that they can be given what they deserve. There must also be greater awareness on the issue of family planning.

Manjula Pal, Delhi

Pakistan’s lost opportunities

With reference to the editorial At the edge of an abyss (Our Take, January 6), Pakistan’s attempt at being a progressive State was tragically lost when its prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, an advocate of secularism, was assassinated in 1951. After six decades, the killing of Punjab governor Salman Taseer, a liberal on religion and society, by a religious fanatic underscores that the nation has irrevocably lost what little pretensions it had to becoming a modern State. Pakistan was never blessed with good leaders and the growing militant infiltration of the security forces has left the all-powerful army leadership helpless.

R Narayanan, via email

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The assassination of Salman Taseer reminds one of our former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s death a quarter century ago. Both were killed by their own security personnel. A country like Pakistan is infested with a large number of religious fundamentalists who hinder progress, preferring to hibernate in their religious cocoon. It would be in Pakistan’s own interest to tackle the fundamentalists and the Taliban and be more liberal on the religious front to emerge as a progressive nation.

Ashok Ghosh, via email

No colour play with terror

With reference to the editorial Coloured by politics (Our Take, January 7), it is sad that AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh is trying to incite communal hatred in the country by painting terrorism in India in saffron, presumably to please the minority votebank. Terrorism has become a grave threat to India’s peace and stability and cannot be tackled with political motivations in mind. People like Singh should be condemned as he

is playing Machiavellian games to achieve political ends. Terror has no religion or affiliations. Else Pakistan would not be torn apart by its home-grown terrorists.

Tarlok Singh, via email

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One should not define terrorism by any colour or creed. One fails to understand why so-called secularists like Digvijaya Singh and Rahul Gandhi are creating a ruckus in the name of saffron terrorism. They should refrain from politicising this issue any further.

Jamil Shafique Khan, via email

A woman of substance

This has reference to Samar Halarnkar’s article Meet Mother India (Maha Bharat, January 6). The story of Sindhutai Sapkal who struggled for her own survival and then brought hope and happiness to the lives of orphan children is inspiring. Sapkal is an embodiment of the power and selflessness of Indian women. Hopefully, the movie Mee Sindhutai Sapkal will help her raise more funds so that more orphan children find a home.